Facebook messages seized in Dow City murder case

State investigators have obtained threatening online messages that a Dow City man accused of murder allegedly sent the March night he shot and killed another man after the two fought at a town bar, according to court records.

The two fought outside of the bar Cheers about 1 a.m., and the shooting was reported about 40 minutes later several blocks away, court records show.

Wingrove allegedly admitted to shooting at Lary but said he did so because Lary's car swerved at him. Lary, 29, was killed by a bullet that struck him in the chest, an autopsy revealed.

Investigators sought this month the Facebook messages that Wingrove allegedly sent to Brian Ettleman, according to a search warrant application to obtain the messages. Ettleman told investigators that he fought with Wingrove two weeks before the shooting. It's unclear whether Ettleman has any ties to Lary or the bar fight or shooting.

"Ettleman stated the messages were threatening in nature, and he said he was scared of Wingrove," the warrant application says.

The contents of those messages have not been made public.

Wingrove's murder charge is set for a court trial on Sept. 10 in Denison. He faces life in prison if convicted.